'And' Is in His DNA
From serving on Northwestern University's student government to connecting with his culture through the Latin dance club and learning consulting in Milan, School of Education and Social Policy (SESP) senior Adrian Ayala-Perez is making the most of his opportunities at Northwestern.
A social policy major, Ayala-Perez says the common thread of the different groups he has joined is they are “social impact oriented and mission driven."
As a freshman, Ayala-Perez was elected SESP student senator, an experience he said was “awesome.” He joined the analytics committee and loved it so much that he decided to become co-chair.
“I've always been interested in government and how public servants are supposed to make the lives of their constituents better,” he said. “I want to see how I can do that from a University standpoint."
Serving others also ties into his role in Professor Mesmin Destin’s lab, which studies how social environments influence who people become and how that affects their motivation, actions and life paths.
Through the lab, Ayala-Perez works directly with Evanston teachers and students, going to the schools once or twice a month.
Since much of the work they’re doing is identity based, Ayala-Perez finds it rewarding when students feel more comfortable with their own identities.
"We’ve seen... teachers joining in on these activities, talking about their identity and their role as teachers, (and we’re) seeing how students open up more,” he said. “That has been very fruitful. (Teachers have) had deeper connections with their students."
Ayala-Perez's research position helps teach students to find pride in their own identities, something that he himself embodies on Northwestern campus. Born to Puerto Rican and Dominican parents, he joined Dale Duro Latin Dance Company.
“I do not have a dancing bone in my body, so my goal was to learn how to dance or at least get some semblance of how to dance, which was beautiful,” he said.
He now serves as the co-president of the organization.
“I'm happy to provide that space to other people who are interested in being more in touch with their culture,” he said.
He also took advantage of SESP’s Global Practicum program to work with a consulting firm in Milan. Since he was off on Fridays, he was able to explore on the weekends.
"It was wonderful,” he said. “I had the whole day to explore the city, the surrounding areas, and even go to different countries."
His work in Milan also helped lay the groundwork for his internship last summer, where he worked in business analytics for the education and social impact practice at Spencer Stuart, a global executive search and leadership consulting firm.
"I was interviewing for (that position) while I was abroad and a lot of the experience that I got on the job from Milan was very transferable to what I did at Spencer Stuart,” he said.
After his final year, he hopes to harness his Northwestern experiences in service and social impact. He became a Peer Adviser this year, taking advantage of his final opportunity to be a mentor to incoming students.
“I was thinking about my mentors my freshman year and they had such an instrumental role in my transition to Northwestern,” he said. “I wanted to do that for the next generation of students.”
He is drawn to government policy or continuing in education consulting. This kind of work for the better helps drive him, he says.
“It gives me a sense of purpose in what I do,” he said.